I guess there is nothing wrong with a little cross-pollination … a little cross-marketing … a touch of the old synergy. Lately I’ve been reading in the Sun pages the ‘Sun News Presents…’ pieces by Joanne Richard. Clearly the strategy is to promote the growing Sun Empire by profiling their on-air personalities. In recent weeks Richard has written pieces on Krista Erickson, Ezra Levant and Brian Lilley. While the profiles read like introductions composed in grade 5, I detect some clear patterns among these features. Without fail these journalists are freedom loving, salt-of-the-earth, job-loving, tireless, family-oriented, straight-talking yet funny, CBC haters. And yet they are also all victims – victims of political correctness, government monopolies and obtuse viewers.
It is amusing that in all three profiles there is an emphasis on the ills of the CBC – almost as if the supposedly individualistic and unconventional Sun journalists all think in precisely the same manner – or were all led in the same direction. That can’t be right for a group of free-thinking individuals can it? I guess when your bosses hate the CBC you hate the CBC … although given the circumstances it hardly strikes one as a rebellious stance. Party discipline holds – even when people like Erickson used to work at the CBC and Levant has appeared on the national broadcaster many times promoting his wares. Presumably those were the rare instances when the institution was not “run with your money by a bunch of unaccountable, secretive and arrogant bureaucrats.”
According to the headline for Richard’s December 18th profile, Byline host Brain Lilley is ‘Sticking up for the little guy.’ In an effort to further establish his non-elitist credentials, Lilley himself claims to be “just the guy who lives next door…” In his household there is a wife, four kids, two dogs and two cats. He has had all kinds of jobs, is a devout family man, and is both Catholic and pro-life. Lilley is interested in stories that matter to the “little guy” and Byline is about “providing a strong voice for the average Canadian.” That all sounds good (if unnecessary) to me … except when it comes to the list of Lilley’s favorite interviews. These include, Mark Steyn (the journalist/author who seems to have a contract with Sun TV to flog his website, books and … yes… CDs), the former Vice-President of the United States Dick Cheney and Avigdor Lieberman (Israeli foreign minister). Yep, no elitism there – they all sound like average Canadians to me. And who does Lilley want on the show – why Stephen Harper of course, because the Prime Minister is “always fascinating.” This doesn’t much match with Richard’s claim that Lilley is “cheeky” and “bent on shaking things up, making waves.”
The headline for Ezra Levant is ‘Pumping up the volume’. Both Richard and Levant himself try to make ‘volume’ and ‘noise’ into virtues. Why bother with nuance and thoughtfulness when you can shout down your perceived, and invented, opponents. Richard tells us that Levant is “an informed, funny and feisty (loudmouth)” who “won’t shut up or back down until he gets results.” Just which results she is referring to goes un-discussed. A large potion of the profile is dedicated to Levant ’s willingness to publish the controversial Danish Muhammad cartoons. Levant comments, “That was an important fight for free speech, the independence of the media and the separation of mosque and state.” Wait a minute, did he say ‘mosque’? Yes indeed, because much of Levant ’s recent pro-Christmas rhetoric suggests he doesn’t actually believe in the more all-encompassing separation of church and state. Clearly his respect for religion is highly selective. Still, even though Levant and the others assert that they represent mainstream Canadians, as with Lilley, Richard claims Ezra really “likes to shake things up…” Only a character such as Levant , when he reissued Richard’s profile on his website, would remark, “Yours truly, done up in-house celeb profile-style.” No elitism or ego there Mr Celeb! No humor either. Still, I guess he is at least honest about what the profiles are.
Canada Live presenter Krista Erickson is, according to the December 11th headline, a ‘Rebel with a cause.’ Not to be outdone by her supposedly edgy colleagues, Richard states that Erickson is “shockingly controversial.” She is also “spirited” and “opinionated” and offers “her own brand of hard news delivery.” While she is against both government subsidies and the CBC, Erickson managed to hang on to various positions at our sinister national broadcaster for a mere 11 years. In the profile we learn that Erickson has a great relationship with her mom, a serious boyfriend and a Jack Russell named Winston. The face of Canada Live likes “living on the edge” and Mom says she is “unconventional” and “strong willed.” And just like Ezra she is “feisty.” And speaking of Ezra, for all of her maverick-like “boundary pushing” Erickson seems to adore the Sun Empire and her coworkers. Richard writes, “She embraces her good fortune, being associated with people like Ezra Levant, Charles Adler, Michael Coren and Bill Lilley.” Wait, what were those names again? What times are they on the air? Ever the free thinker Erickson herself goes on to add, “They’re all brilliant in terms of their analysis, their points of view, their understanding of the world; they’re also brilliant showmen and I just have so much respect for them.” And guess what? Yep, “She’s out to shake up the mediascape…”
Now, I realize we are talking about SUN opinion commentators (at least in the case of Levant and Lilley) rather than reporters. Opinions are free – and don’t require facts, details or subtlety. Still, two quotes you won’t read in any of these pieces are ‘I try to see many sides to issues’ or ‘While I disagree with them, I’m sympathetic to counter-opinions’. No, much easier to ridicule your perceived opponent, invent or inflate outlandish adversaries, and use them as a source of comedic fodder, rather than address a variety of nuanced counter-opinions. The old right wing stumbling block: how to be a common-sense every-day person and a rebel at the same time? The funny part is that instead of presenting Levant , Lilley and Erickson as complex and varied individuals, in these profiles they come off as interchangeable group-thinking corporate drones. Aside from the colorful family and pet bits they all fall into line in a completely assimilated Borg-like fashion. Given their forced and seam-showing humor, and by-the-numbers personal tidbits, they are the Borg sans the whimsy. And, of course, I can make any of these less-than-flattering comments because I’m merely presenting my opinion. I’m simply a showman. And for those of you that care I’ve no children, no dogs or cats … so, you know, clearly I’m a nasty person.
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